Method of making battery-vaults or the like.



c. H. MARQUESS.

METHOD OF MAKING BATTERY V AULTS OR THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20.19W

LQLQMQ Patented 0015.15, 1918..

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ATTORNEY c. H. MARQUESS.

METHOD OF MAKING BATTERY VAULTS OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20. I917.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.1

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INVENTOR. 7(4/0744M BY A TTORNEY WITNESSES:

C. H. MARQUESS. METHOD OF MAKING BATTERY VAULTS OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION men JUNE 20. 1911. LQL0% Patented Oct. 15, 191

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ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT @FFIQE CHARLES HENSON MARQUESS, FMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

METHOD OF MAKING BATTERY-VAULTS OR THE LIKE.

Application filed June 20, 1917.

0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES HENsoN MARQUESS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Methods of MakingBattery-Vaults or the like, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to articles of concrete or of similar cementitiousmaterial. A11 important application of these improvements is in theconstruction of battery vaults and the like, and will be morespecifically described and illustrated in the construction of suchvaults, although the invention is not limited thereto.

Heretofore it has been common practice in the construction of batteryvaults and the like to prepare molds or forms, exterior and interior,conforming to the shape of the proposed article to be n'ianufactured.and, after locating reinforcing metal in the space between the molds, topour such space full of the plastic or semi-liquid mortar. Inasmuch asone of theprime requisites of battery vaults is water-tightness, it hasbeen necessary, in order to obtain even moderately satisfactory results,thoroughly to ram or puddle the mortar so as -to work it around the barsand drive out, so far as possible, air which has become entrapped duringthe process of pouring. The density of the concrete has been contingentupon the thoroughness with which the neXt-above-mentioned work was done,and, since it is very diflicult to work around the intricate andcomplicated cage of reinforcing metal with a ramming or puddling tool itfrequently happens that a quite porous form of concrete results.

In this connection reference may, be had to my co-pending applicationsSerial No. 153,236, filed March 8, 1917 on concrete articles, Serial No.162,301, filed April 16, 1917, on methods of making concrete articles,and Serial No. 162,302, fil ed April 16, 1917 on apparatus for makingconcrete articles.

The principal object .of the present improvements is to provide a simpleand effective method of forming battery vaults and the like, and, in theutilization of certain Patented @ct. 15, 1918.

Serial No. 175,779.

forms of apparatus specified, a method of forming such structureswhereby they will be exceedingly strong and durable, with notableproperties of water tightness, as well as cheapness and rapidity ofconstruction.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Ihave illustrated a battery vault and various steps in the presentmethods of constructing same. In these drawings Figure 1 is a medialvertical section of a form of battery vault associated with meansfragmentarily and partly sectionally shown for rotating vault parts andfor applying cementitious ma terial thereto;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, as on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing thebottom or base reinforcing elements and associated parts;

Fig. 3 is a medial sectional view of the vault of Fig. 1 inverted,showing the preferred manner of forming a bottom or base upon the sidewalls;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary medial vertical section showing part of theapparatus of Fig.- 1 and illustrating the use of a sectional interiorcore or support for the side wall construction;

Fig. 5 is apartly sectional view showing an employment of a solidinterior core; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary medial vertical section showing the applicationof a bottom to the vault of Fig.

The most practical cementitious material for such vault construction isformed from Portland cement, sand, and water. As the plastic mass whenformed begins at once to harden, and as any disturbance of the masswhile it is setting results in concrete deficient in strength, it is ofthe greatest importance that the walls be formed with the utmostexpedition. In the older methods of forming such walls a very materialamount of time elapses and a great deal of disturbance of the mass takesplace from the time of the addition of water to the cement and sanduntil the mortar is applied in final position, and it has beenimpossible, according to the hitherto processes,except as shown in mysaid co-pending applications, to provide a vault of satisfactorystrength and density.

The sever l vaults illustrated respectively include a reinforcingframework for the side Walls comprising a plurality of substantiallyvertically disposed bars 10, bent at 11 and 12 to form shoulder and neckportions, a plu rality of inner rings or rods 13 and outer rings 14lying against the uprights 10 and Wired or otherwise secured thereto atinter vals as at 15. I have shown also a plurality of bottom or basereinforcing rods 16 and,17 having upturned ends 16 and 17 respectively,which ends may be wired at intervals to the uprights 10, as at 18,(Figs. 1 and 3) these cross rods 16 and 17 preferably being wired orotherwise secured to each other at intervals, as at 19 (Fig. 2). Aunitary frame-work for the bottom and side walls may thus be formed. Itis not necessary, however, to secure the bottom reinforcements withthose of the side walls, as shown in Figs. 4,5 and 6.

Within the reinforcing framework for the sidewalls thus formedlp'rovidea core or support against which cementitious material is to beprojected and which substantially defines the interior shape of thevault. In Figs. 1 and 3 the core 20 may be of roofing felt or similarrelatively thin material which preferably has frost insulatingproperties, and which forms a lining for the vault. For such lining Ihave found the well known article of fibrous material known ascomposition board highly satisfactory. It preferably extends over thebottom, as at 20 although in some practices the bottom form 20 may bedispensed with, especially in the process of merely forming the sidewalls. It is pointed out, however, that other forms of cores may beemployed, including such as do notconstitute' a part of the vault in itscompleted form. Thus in Fig. 4 the core 9 comprises a plurality of woodor other sections 9*, the core being collapsible and for merelytemporary use. It may be positioned on a support, as 36, after which theframework for the side walls may be positioned around it. On Fig. 5 thecore 8 is of permanent form, suitably made of wood, and adaptedsubstantially to define the interior "of the vault. This core 8 ispreferably slightly tapering so that when the side walls are formed uponit and become hard the core and side walls may easily be separated fromeach other. In this instance the side walls framework has acorresponding taper. In Figs. 4, 5 and 6 the circumferential membranes20 and bottom membrane 20 (Fig. 6) may be considered a lining ofsubstantially moisture-proof material, such as the core or lining 20, ormay be considered merely paper designed to prevent a bond between theplastic material and the cores or bot-tom forms.

A reinforcing framework for the side walls having been formed, the coreor lining 20 (Figs. 1 and 3) may be positioned within the same. Thebottom frame-work comprising the rods 16 and 17 may then be secured uponthe side wall framework, as by the wiring 18, there being preferablyseveral spacing pieces 21 interposed between the cross rods 17 and thebottom lining 20 when such bottom lining 20 is employed, such spacers 21being preferably of cement or metal. They serve to maintain the lining20, 20 at the desired relative elevation whereby the bottom reinforcingmembers may be substantially midway of the bottom wall when formed. Thereinforcing framework and the lining or core are then positioned uponthe horizontal support 36 (Fig. 1) the core and framework beingcarefully centered with the axis of rotation of the support 36. Whilethe core or lining'20 may be secured to the framework, yet when made ofsuch fairly heavy material as roofing felt or composition board it isquite stiff and selfsupporting and can be centered with the axis ofrotation independently of the framework. In order that the weight of thecore or lining 20, 20 and the bottom framework 16, 17, may not sagobjectionably I provide spacing pieces 22 beneath the bottom framework,the supports 22 being preferably of relatively small area and preferablybeing beneath the spacers 21. Spacers, as 22, are particularly.desirable if the bottom reinforcements be not secured to those for thesidewalls.

While, in the broad aspectof these improvements the side walls maybeformed in any approved way, I prefer to employ the means described in mysaid copending a plications, and will briefly now describe the sameherein.

platform 36, circular iii the form illustrated,

and provided at its circumference with av two-piece ring of fiat metal37 clamped upon the support 36 by bolts 38 whereby this ring 37 mayreadily be positioned and removed if desirable. Meshing with the trackgear 34 is the pinion 40, secured upon a shaft 41 rotatable in bearings42 and 43, a bevel gear 44 being also carried by this shaft. Upon thedriving shaft 46 there is a bevel pinion 47 meshing with the gear 44,and also the bevel gear 48 meshing with the pinion 49 upon the screwshaft 50. A cross-head 52 is mounted slidingly upon the guides 53 and 54and is moved in vertigal directions by the screw shaft 50 in threadedengagement with the cross-head 52. A nozzle 57 is secured readilyremovably upon the bracket 52, as

or permanently secured to the base.

by a clamping strap 58, the nozzle being directed horizontallysubstantially toward the axis of rotation of the base 36. To the 110%zle 57 there is secured a flexible pipe 60 adapted to contain a propermixture of cement and sand carried to the nozzle 57 by air pressure, andalso the flexible pipe 61 .adapted to deliver continuously to the streamof cement and sand a proper quantity of water. Thenozzle 57 and pipes 60and 61 are elements of cement gun apparatus and are sufficiently wellunderstood to require no detailed description here. In this connection,however. reference may be had to Patent No. 984,254 of February 14, 1911 to C. E. Akeley.

It is clear that when rotative power is applied to the shaft 46 thehorizontal support 36 will be rotated upon the balls 32. and that thenozzle 57 will simultaneously be raised or lowered through the rotationof the screw shaft 50.

The cement and sand forced through the pipe 60 by ,air pressure at ahigh rate of travel unite witha suitable supply of water from the pipe61 and the plastic cement issues from the nozzle in the form of a jet 62which impinges upon the core or lining 20, 20 and finally covers theside wall metallic frame-work. The operation is begun preferably bydirecting the jet 62 against the core, lining and framework at thebottom of the proposed side wall. or close to the ring 37, the base,core and framework rotating the while. The cementitious .material isthus applied regularly and evenly over the parts designed to be covered,the nozzle 57 regularly traveling upward during the operation.

A vault or similar structure thus formed is exceedingly strong andcompact, the concrete being free from air bubbles or other voids andhaving been applied without ap-- preciable loss of time while settingwas under way and without any disturbance of the applied particles ormass.

While it is possible so to p oportion the rates of rotation of thesupport 36and the travel of the nozzle 57 that the desired thickness ofcement can be applied in a single coat, ordinarily I prefer to make thecoats less thick and apply two or more thereof to obtain the desiredthickness. After forming the walls the material is allowed to harden,after which the article can readily be removed from the horizontalsupport36.

The core 8 (Fig. 6) may be loosely positioned on the base 36. its ownweight being suflicient to maintain it in its centered position thereon.although it mav be temporarilv It may be removed with the side wallsformed upon it. or the side wall structure may be lifted off leavingthe. core in place. The sectional core 9 (Fig. 4) may be taken outeither before or after the side wall structure is removed from the base36. Such sectional form 9 is shown as comprising wooden pieces edge toedge in the manner of barrel staves. The use of sectional interior coresis well understood in the older practices of forming battery vaults andthe like.

In applying the bottom or base to the side wall structure I preferablyinvert the vault body as shown in Figs. 3 and 6. Before doing so anannular channel iron protective top piece or cap 65 (Fig. 3) may beapplied by grouting the same upon the neck portion as shown, but thismay later be done, if such a ring be employed. In order to form a dam orwall to define the edge portion of the proposed bottom I provide asectional band 66, suitably in two pieces similar to the ring 87 (Figs.1 and 2) and similarly held in position by extending flanges 67 boltedtogether in the manner of the ring 37. It

binds upon the side wall structure and is maintained in its desiredposition by such binding action. In Fig. 6 this confining ring is shownas flared upwardly.

A support is provided for the bottom form onmembraneQO (Fig. 3) or, inFig. 6, for the membrane 20 which may be merely paper and placed uponthe support just mentioned to prevent a bond between the cementitio-usmaterial and the support. This support is shown as comprising a diskcomposed of three pieces 7 0, 71, and 72 hinged together as at 73 and74, this supporting disk being thus foldable upon itself in order thatit may be Withdrawn from the position shown. It may be otherwisesectional or collapsible or of other characteristics. Upon the middlesection 71 of the support I provide a pair of brackets 75, only one ofwhich is shown, the other thereof being opposite the one illustrated,binding screws 76 adapted to impinge the inner surface of the vaultbeing threaded into the brackets respectively. I also provide a crossbar '7 7 having oppositely disposed brackets 78 and similar bindingscrews 79. It will thus be seen that the support comprising the parts70, 71 and 72 may be held rigidly by the four binding screws.

When making the device of Fig. 3, it is only necessary to fill in, inany approved way, the space defined by the ring 66 with oeme-ntitiousmaterial, the same uniting with the projecting ends of the uprights? 10and also embedding the bottom reinforcements 16 and 17. In the device ofFig. 6 the cross rods 16 and 17 are positioned in the desired locationafter the ring 66 and the bottom support are applied, after which thecementitious material may be applied within the ring 66. In Figs. 3 and6 I have shown the bottom partially formedj 'After the cemenwhereuponthe side Walls will have an integral base or bottom secured to same.

By forming the side walls of the structure first in the manner indicatedherein with the base portion resting on the horizontal support muchdifliculty in construction is avoided over the method in which the baseis first formed and the large and unwieldy framework and core are thenpositioned thereon.,.-

Importantly it avoids all disturbance of the plastic mass of the bottomof the vault after the same has been formed, and, further, the method issimple and rapid in operation and makes possible 'a number ofadvantageous modifications of the structure. Thus, for instance, thevault sides may be formed according to a given standard of practice,after which various kinds of bottom structures may be applied, and atany convenient time, according to particular requirements, such bottomwall being with or withouta sump, being of any required thickness orconfiguration, having various kinds and forms of reinforcing materialtherein, having air spaces for insulation purposes, etc., and allwithout prejudice to the unitary, strong, water-tight and monolithiccharacter of the vault as a whole. It is pointed out that where thecement is ap plied by means of the cement gun the bond between the oldand new cement is fully as strong as that between any two contiguousportions of the old cement, if not more strong, due largely to the factthat in applying the new cement to the old a film of neat cement isfirst formed over all of the surfaces thereof owing to the initialrebound of the aggregate when" it strikes the hard surface, after whichcoating of neat cement the aggregate adheres thereto and the wall isbuiltup to the desired thickness. As the initial coating of neat cementis applied with force and with the fine particles thereof 'tightlypacked together and Without subsequent disturbance a perfect bond isformed beween the older cement and the new. It is pointed out also thataccordin to this method the metallic framework is in best positionvtocarry the weight of the concrete while it is being applied and beforethe strength of the concrete is added to that of the framework. Thisfeature is important in avoiding the necessity of desirability ofsupporting the framework with auxiliary or temporary reinforcing duringthe application of the cement, and makes possible the complete formationof the side walls with a minimum of apparatus.

Any suitable form of reinforcing framework for both the side walls andthe bottom wall may be employed, and these improvements are not limitedto the method of formlng the side walls or the bottom wall,

forming the complete vault structure herein described. Reference shouldbe had to the appended claims to'determine what I con template as withinthe scope of the improvements set forth.

I- claim: M

1. The method of forming a battery vault or the like which comprisesplacing a framework of reinforcing material on a horizontal support, theframe-work surrounding a core against which plastic material is to bedirected, applying plastic material to the framework and core until theside walls of the vault are formed, allowing the side walls to harden,and applying a bottom of plastic material upon the side walls.

2. The method of forming a battery vault or the like which comprisesplacing upon a substantially horizontal support a core adapted to form alining for the vault, placing around said core a frame-work ofreinforcing material' for the side walls, forming side walls of plasticmaterial against said port adapted to rotate, applying cementitiousmaterial to said framework so as to embed the same while rotating theframework, allowing the cementitious material to harden, and applyin abottom of cementitious material to the si e walls thus formed.

4. The method of making a battery vault or. the like which comprisesmounting a framework for side walls and a core surrounded by theframework upon a support adapted to rotate, rotating the framework andcore and applying cementitious material thereto until the framework issubstantially embedded, allowing the cementitious ma terial to harden,and forming a bottom wall upon the side walls.

5. The method of making a battery vault or the like which comprisesplacing a framework and core of reinforcin material upon a horizontalsupport adapte to rotate on a vertical axis, the framework surroundingthe core, rotating the framework and core and simultaneously applyingcementitious material thereto so as substantially to embed theframework, allowing the cementitious material to harden, and forming abottom wall of plastic material upon the side walls thus formed.

6. The-method of forming a battery vault or the like which comprisesplacing upon a rotatable support a framework of reinforcing material forthe sides ofthe vault and substantially imperforate means closelyassociated with the framework against which cementitious material is tobe projected, ro-

jecting cementitious material against said means and the framework untilthe frame- .work is substantially embedded, allowing the cementitiousmaterial to harden, and forming a bottom wall of cementitious materialupon the side walls thus formed.

7. The method of forming a battery vault or the like which comprisesforming side walls containing reinforcing material projecting beyond theside walls, positioning the side walls so formed with the projectingreinforcing material uppermost, applying a temporary retaining wall forplastic material about the side walls contiguous to the projectingreinforcing material, positioning a temporary supporting form inside thevault contiguous to such projecting material, and applying cementitiousmaterial within the retaining wall and above said supporting form toform a bottom upon the side walls.

8. The method of forming a battery vault or the like which comprisesforming side walls, positioning the side wall structure with the partadapted to receive the bottom wall projecting upward, applying atemporary retaining wall for plastic material about the side wallscontiguous to the place where the bottom wall is to be applied,positioning a temporary supporting form in side the vault bodycontiguous to the place where the bottom is to be applied, and applyingcementitious material within the retaining wall and above saidsupporting form to form a bottom wall on the side walls.

9. The method of making a battery vault or the like which comprisesmounting a frame-work for side walls and a core surrounded by theframe-work upon a support with the bottom portion of the frame-work andcore downward and the mouth portion upward, applying cementitiousmaterial to said frame-work so as substantially to embed the same toform side walls for the vault, allowing the cementitious material toharden, inverting the side wall structure so that the bottom portionthereof is upward, and applying a bottom of cementitious material to theside walls thus formed.

10. The method of making a battery vault or the like which comprisesmounting a frame-work for side walls and a core surrounded by theframe-work upon a support adapted to rotate, the bottom portion of theframe-work being downward and the mouth portion upward, rotating theframe-work and core and applying cementitious material thereto in theform of a rapidly moving jet until the frame-work is substantiallyembedded, allowing the cementitious material to harden, invertingthe-side wall structure so that the bottom portion is upward, andapplying a bottom wall of cementitious material upon the slde wallstructure thus formed.

CHARLES HENSON MARQUESS.

